Refrigerator



F. J. SCHMIDT, IIR. BEFRIGERATOR. APPLlcAr'ioN msn rsa. 14. 1916. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

A fa. ,fw s

`UNITED SATS MEI of Eros.

FRANCIS J. SCHMIDT, JE., or wiiUwATosA, wIscoNsIN, AssIeNoEoE o NE-rL/II,r To II. J. WAGNER, or MILWAUKEE, wIsCoNsIN.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed February 14, 1316.

yseries vof compartments in a compartment refrigerator without opening the other conipartments or permitting the escape of cold -air,therefrom,or the admission of warm air thereto.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator embodying my invention.

Fig. .2 is a horizontal `sectional view, drawn on line k--of Fig. l.

Like partsare identified by the same reference characters in both views. j

The main or refrigerating chamber proper is provided with double walls l and 2, havingra double walled door 3, the upper portion of whichis provided with panels 4 and 5 composed of glass, whereby the interior may be inspected. YA rotating member, subdivided into a series of compartments, is

-located withinthe inclosure formed by the walls y1 and 2 and is'adapted to receive vthe This rotating Vmember comprises a floor 5 and cap 6, supported .from thefloor by a set of partitions 7, 8 and 9. These partitions may be arranged in any desired manner.

y In the constructionshown, the partition 7 occupies the central portion of the rotary member and crosses its aXis of rotation.

'Iliepartitions 8 extend across the respective ends of t-he partition 7 and the partitions 9 projectroutwardly from the partitions 8, parallel with the plane of the partition 7,

projected, but on opposite sides thereof and spaced therefrom. The outer side margins of thepartitions 8 and 9 are provided. with vertical posts or strips of suitable material ll, the outer surfaces of which are in arcs coinciding with the circle of rotation about the central axis. The bottom and top walls 5 and 6 respectively, are provided with axial guide trunnions l2 .and 13, journaled in .bearing-members 14 and 15 on the fioor and ceiling of the main chamber. The trunnions Specification of LettersPatent.

Vthe floor- Of vthe revolving chamber, VSuch @S `tral :portion ofthe floor 'Patented'Dea 23., 1919 Serial No. 758,172.

12 `and 13, however, arefemployed simply as guides, the rotary member being ,supported fioor 5. The v rollers 20, ,21' and 22 are .journaled in suitable bearing members-26,'mounted upon theV floor of the main .cliamber. rIhis arrangement of partitions iS iillso adapted to prevent sagging Vor yielding lof would otherwise Vcause unequal Idistlibution movements. It will beobservedv-thattlie cenceiling 6 isreinforced, andthatthe central Vpartition 7 crosses this reinforcement jceii-V trally, whereas the partitions '8\cros s-its margins. "The reinforced floor coperates with the `partitionsto preventsagging v.at ,l

the center, and the. load is therefore uniformly distributed withlight pressurefupon the centralltrunnion512. Thestrncture thus produced rotateseasily, and VWithout irl'egillar or jolting movement. l The rotary member mayberotatively ad justed to any desired position ,-bymeans of ymanually operated crank wheel 28, the i motion of whichY is transmitted through 1 the crank shaft 29, sprocketehain 3 0, shaft S601v tion 31, gear wheel shaft:32 gear wheelfor Aof the load, or interfere with the .rotary 'i roller 20, and circular rack 24. ,Thezsha'ft 31 has slip coupling relationat .with the roller or gear wheel Ashaft 32, so that Lif desired, the crank wheel and its vassociatedv parts, to and including shaft section 31,1may

be mountedon or .withinthedoon When the door is open, the shaft ,section l31 will slip out of they coupling, wherebytheiportion ofthe adjusting Inechanismcarried by the door may be-permittedto swing with the door. Therefore, the crank :wheel may be conveniently `located in a position toenable the loperator to inspect the -rotarylmember through theglass panels and 5, while operating the crank to adjust the desired coinpartment of ,the refrigerator into registry with the door.

Gear wheelY or roller 21 may vbe-fprovided with a projecting .shaft-37 which may be connected with any suitable souree-ofpower, if the rotary member is too largefonheavy to be conveniently operated byhand. 'The other ,rollers 22 are idle rollers or ,i gear wheels. It is immaterial Whether iffriction:l

wheels or toot-hed;` gear wheels are employed. Where gear wheels are employed, the rack 24 will of course be provided with suitable teeth.

The door j amb is provided with inwardly projecting walls 40, and packing strips 4l are secured to one side face of each of these walls in a position to project inwardly therefrom into frictional contact with the posts or inemj bers 11. A bar 43 is hinged at 44 to the lintel of the door and is also provided with a vliexible packing strip 45, which is adapted to rest upon the top 6 of the rotary member, when the door is open. l/Vhen the door is closed, it engages a projection 46 on bar 43, whereby said bar is tilted, asn shown in Fig. l, thereby raising the packing strip 45 .above the top or cap member 6 to avoid frictiona The packing strips 4l extend upwardly to a point where their upper ends will be enn gaged by the packing strip 45 when the latter drops to a horizontal position.

The posts or strips l1 and the respective partition members with which they are associated, are so arranged and spaced apart that any two adjacent posts or strips 11 may be brought into simultaneous registry with both packing strips 4l, whereby one coinpartment, and only one, will be exposed to permit a discharge of cold air or receipt of warm air from the exterior when the door is open. These packing strips 4l also prevent any circulation of air through the door into the spaces surrounding the rotary member. The packing iiap 45 prevents air from passing into the space above the packing member. I do not consider it necessary to provide packing for the licor of the refrigerator, since the cold air will have very little tendency to escape, unless warm air is permitted to enter the upper portion of the refrigerator.

The various compartments of the rotary member may, as above stated, be arranged in any convenient manner, except that the outer wall margins must be spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the packing strips 41, e., the width of the door way. The partition walls of the compartments may be provided with hooks 52 or any other suitable supports for the articles which are to be stored.

TVith the above described construction, the operator will first utilize either the crank wheel or the power shaft to actuate the rotary member or support until the desired compartment is brought in registry with the door. Such condition of registry may be ascertained by watching the revolving member through the glass panel. When the desired compartment is in proper registry with the packing strips engaging the vertical strips or post l1, the revolving member may be brought to rest and the door may then be opened, the packing strip 45 dropping upon Vthe top or cap of the rotary member, as soon as the door moves out of cont-act with projection 46. All other portions of the refrigerator, except the compartment which is thus exposed1 will remain closed, the closure being practically as complete as if the door were shut. ln the construction shown, the main chamber is illustrated as a rectangular chamber which, in connection with the rotary member therein, provides spaces at its corners. This is not essential but preferably employ a rectangular chamber in order that ice, or other refrigerant, may be conveniently stored in the corners in most effective relation to the ro tary member. To avoid providing additional doors or opening the refrigerant may be conveyed to the desired storage points by delivering it into one of the compartments and subsequently actuating the rotary inem ber to carry the refrigerant to the point of delivery, together with the person charged with the duty of storing the refrigerant in the respective corners or spaces. After the refrigerant has been delivered the rotary member may again be actuated to bring the attendant or workman back to the doorway.

l claim v l. A refrigerator, comprising the combination with a main chamber provided with a d oor-way and door, of a revolving member located within theV main chamber and provided with top and bottom walls, partition walls sub-dividing the revolving member into a series of open compartments, interior vestibule walls on opposite sides of the doorway, provided with packing strips adapted for selective registry with the vertical compartment walls, and means for actuating the rotary member from the exterior to bring said walls successively into registry with the packing strips, together with a packing member spanning the space between said vestibule walls at the top of said walls and adapted to bear upon the top of the rotary member7 when the door is open, and means for lifting said packing member when the door is closed and supporting it out of frictional contact with the rotary member.

2. A refrigerator, comprising the combination with a main chamber provided with a door-way and door, of a revolving member located within the main chamber and provided with top and bottom walls, partition walls sub-dividing lthe revolving member into a series ofopen compartments, vestibule walls on opposite sides of the doorway, provided with packing strips adapted for selective registry with the vertical coinpartnient walls, and means for actuating the rotary member from the exterior to bring said walls successively into registry with the packing strips, together with a packing member spanning the space between said vestibule Walls at tbertop of said Walls.

and adapted to bear upon the top of the r0- tary member, and means connected With the door for lifting saidlast mentioned packing` member When the door is closed, Whereby friction'of the latter upon the top of the rotary member is avoided when the rotary member is in motion. Y

3. A refrigerator, comprising the combination With a main chamber provided with a door-Way and door, of a revolving member located Within the main chamber and provided With top and bottom Walls, partition Walls subdividing the revolving member into a series of open compartments, vestibule Walls on opposite, sides of the door- Way, provided with packing strips adapted for selective registry'with the tuatingV the rotary member from the exterior to bring said Walls successively into registry ing a shaft journaled under the supporting member, a shaft carried by the door, means Y for coupling said shafts together in closing position of the door, a Wheel on the first named shaft engaging With the revolving member to rotate said member, vand means carried by the door for rotating said door carried shaft.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. Y

FRANCIS J. SCHMIDT, JR. Witnesses:

IRMA D. BREMER, LEVERETT C. WHEELER.

With the packing strips, said means Compris- 

